He started saying things like, if I can't have you, no one can, anyone who gets in the way of me having you.

Like, I'm not afraid to fight. I fought police before, like all this kind of stuff. So I did end up eventually reporting him to campus police.

I'm Jamie Beebe.

And I'm Jake Deptula.

On today's episode of Strictly stalking, we're speaking with Heather, a writer who survived a stalker who slipped into her life disguised as a friend.

He first approached her on a bus, already knowing details she'd never shared.

Soon he was showing up at her favorite spots, inserting himself into her relationships,

and eventually following her across multiple states. His obsession escalated from surprise visits to love

poems, manifestos, and a bizarre marriage proposal delivered with a jar of honey. Heather is here to

share how she recognized the danger, fought back, and reclaimed her life from the fantasy he tried to trap her in.

Heather, thank you for joining us today. What would you like to share with us about your life growing up?

I grew up in Northern California and later Eureka, Montana, when I was sent away to Chryslist Boarding School, part of the troubled teen industry, made famous through documentaries like, This Is Paris and the program.

What was the reasoning for putting you in some of these programs in an early age?

I had a pretty traumatic childhood. My family was small and troubled. I'm an only child. My dad worked for the Parks and Recreation

Department like Ron Swanson, but more of a warm personality. My mom, however, was unemployed most of my

life. Home life was tumultuous. My mom has severe mental health, disabilities, and substance abuse

struggles. I grew up amidst domestic violence. My mom abusing me and my dad. My dad tried to get me

out of that environment as much as he could. So I did have happy moments in my childhood. It wasn't all

bad. He would take me camping, fishing, and foraging in the redwoods. Unfortunately, those times were

rare, as he had to work hard to support our family on our very limited income. My mom wasn't really great mom and was in and out

of rehab, mental health facilities, and jail. So I was babysat a lot by a family member who took

advantage of my vulnerable situation to sexually abuse me. It got worse from there. My mom was arrested

...